Spring is officially here, in case you hadn’t noticed from the pollen filling the air, covering vehicles and affecting many people’s sinuses.

Regardless of those little inconveniences, last week’s official arrival of spring is welcome news.

4Here is a look at some of the other good news items from the past week:

Concordia Parish broke ground Thursday on a new $36 million hospital to be located on U.S. 84.

Construction of the 61,000 square-foot hospital and 17,000 square-foot medical office building is expected to take 16 to 18 months.

The project is sure to be a boon to the local economy during the construction phase and will certainly be a welcome addition to the parish’s healthcare options.

4Concordia Parish held a training drill last week to allow emergency first responders to practice their skills to be prepared for emergencies.

The event, which simulated an active shooter event, was held at River Park Medical Center.

We hope the skills learned in the exercise are never actually needed, but we are glad our emergency responders are trained to handle such events.

4Natchez resident, Greg Iles’ newest novel, “Cemetery Road,” is climbing national and international best-sellers lists.

That is not only great news for Iles, but also great news for the entire Natchez and Adams County community.

Iles is a great calling card for spreading the word about Natchez as his fans seek to learn more about the place he lives and that has inspired many of his works.

That’s good news, indeed.

Keep your eyes open, despite the pollen, because we’re sure more good news will come this week.